Russian President Vladimir Putin is writing about international norms and equality now, with his sights on Syria. In the run-up to the Olympics — and with those words in mind — attention will soon turn back to his own country’s anti-LGBT laws and environment.

The city could pull any of its $16.3 billion pension assets out of Russia under its “social justice” investment policy. A city supervisor sent a letter this week to the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System protesting Russia’s “criminalization” of the LGBT community.

“A homosexualist shouldn’t bring up a child. He perverts it,” said Alexei Zhuravlyov, the author of a new bill that would take custody away from any parent found guilty of “clear signs” of homosexuality.

After canceling a bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin while there for the G20 summit, Obama may anger the Kremlin further by meeting with Russian activists — including from LGBT groups.

“I cannot stay silent while your country works to put in place deeply discriminatory laws and policies undermining the rights of LGBT individuals,” the California senator writes to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Boxer also expresses concern about the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Emma Green-Tregaro’s rainbow fingernails were the first sign of the coming storm the International Olympic Committee will face in Sochi. The IOC needs to make clear the impact of its own rules on athletes who — like the IOC itself — support nondiscrimination.

“[R]estricting the right to act and speak in support of the LGBT community are inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the Olympic and Paralympic movements,” U.S. Olympic Committee chief wrote this week. While in Russia, however, the U.S. chief also said it was his “strong desire that our athletes comply with the laws of every nation we visit.”

Openly gay television personality Andy Cohen turned down a gig to host the 2013 Miss Universe pageant because he is “concerned for his safety,” reports E! Online. He co-hosted the pageant for the past two years.

But GE steps forward over LGBT rights in Russia: “We expect the IOC to uphold human rights in every aspect of the Games.” Other Olympics sponsors back the International Olympic Committee attempt to avoid conflict with Putin.

After winning silver at the World Athletics Championships on Tuesday, middle-distance runner Nick Symmonds criticized the country’s “gay propaganda” law. He’s the first foreign athlete to do so on Russian soil.